- Born
- Birth nameThomas Joseph Kiesche
- Nicknames
- Big Quiche
- Quiche
- Height6′ 4½″ (1.94 m)
- Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, Tom Kiesche grew up in a household of seven, a tall, awkward target of school bullies until discovering the comradery of weight rooms and the self-discipline of Okinawa-Te Karate. A multi-sport athlete throughout college, he graduated with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. His life changed one electric evening when Kiesche followed a whim and walked into a Theatre Sports improv comedy show. This experience lit a long-dormant fuse, and within a month he was on stage with that same company. His presence did not go unnoticed, and local directors were soon approaching him for more serious roles, impressed by what they saw in the tall, muscular man, with classic good looks and impeccable comedic timing.
As a gift to himself on his twenty-fifth birthday, Kiesche gave notice to the Fortune 500 company he was working for and moved from New Haven to New York City, joined the award-winning troupe Mission Improvable and honed his skills working Off-Broadway and in regional theatres. When not acting, he wrote constantly, completing everything from screenplays and sketch comedy to full-length plays. He also studied at several schools, including Playwright Horizons, HB Studios, and Michael Howard Studios. The effort paid off. Kiesche appeared on most of the major television shows shot in New York City before moving westward to Los Angeles.
Since the move, Kiesche has worked steadily in films, television, commercials, voice-overs, plays, musicals, cabaret, comedy shows, improv shows, sketch shows, and even works that he wrote and produced. He is a graduate from UCLA's Screenwriting Program and has optioned several screenplays and had seen his work produced in film, on stage, and through various other platforms.
His credits include the lead in Richard Halpern's political satire W.M.D, a recurring role as Clovis on the award-winning series Breaking Bad, a series regular on both the hilarious comedy School & Board and the streaming series A Girl Named Jo, and a one-man show that showcased Kiesche's rich, powerful singing voice and sharp writing. Most recently he played Sheriff Langford in Jeff Hare's Into the Arms of Danger and appeared with Dan Levy in a 2021 Superbowl commercial. A physically imposing man, Kiesche is an even more remarkable performer. Versatile and accomplished, he is at once charming, subtle, confident, and captivating.
Never one to take his success for granted, Kiesche has also published four books, teaches and advises aspiring actors at universities and acting schools. He also donates hundreds of hours every year to organizations dedicated to animals' wellbeing.- IMDb Mini Biography By: KBC Media
- Gender / Gender identityMale
- Volunteer at Los Angeles Zoo, enrichment program, built and designed contraptions to entertain and enrich various animals at the zoo (2008-2011).
- Volunteer at Amanda Foundation in Beverly Hills. (2011-2017)
Amanda Foundation is a nonprofit organization that rescues dogs and cats who, through no fault of their own, are spending their last days at City and County Shelters. - Long time volunteer at Hollywood YMCA, photographer, writer, program developer, fund-raiser.
- Was a Biology Major, Chemistry Minor at Trenton State College. Found love of acting later in life during an elective class his final semester. He worked for Eli Lilly & Company in New Haven, Connecticut, for 2.5 years and gave notice on 25th Birthday to pursue acting/writing full time in NYC.
- On the film Alien Raiders, he shot the "Logan Cam" footage. Originally, the camera was just to be a prop for his character. But before shooting, Tom asked Ben, the director, for a functioning cam with tapes and batteries. The first tape got misplaced by someone along the lines, because no one took it very seriously. Most people, both crew and actors, were surprised that he was actually shooting during "his" scenes. However, lots of the footage he shot made the final film, giving the film an even grittier feel and giving the editor other options to cut to.
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